Cosmetic crossroads offers more than just manicures

An Do has seen many types of nail salons in her career - first in Vietnam, then on County Line and Henry Ave., and finally at 40th and Market streets.

Her many incarnations as manicurist have seen changes. In Vietnam, where Do lived until 2005, people don't sit for pedicures; on County Line, clients often make appointments before they arrive and pedicures cost $26.

But here at Nancy Le's Nail at 4018 Market St., she is part of a unique experiment: a salon situated at the crossroads of Penn's campus and wider West Philadelphia.

Nancy Le's eclectic atmosphere welcomes a diverse crowd, blending two communities that - despite sharing the same space - sometimes seem a long way apart.

She paints the nails of West Philadelphia residents, Penn staff members and Penn students, who frequently need their nails done before parties and vacations.

They choose Nancy Le's because of the establishment's affordability, efficiency and skillful techniques. Manicures cost $8 and pedicures are $20, cheaper than other nearby venues such as Saturn Club, where manicures and pedicures cost $15 and $30, respectively.

And while Nancy Le's does not take reservations, Saturn Club operates "mostly by appointment," according to owner Becky Wright.

A social worker at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, who would not disclose her name for professional reasons, has gotten her eyebrows and fingernails done at Nancy Le's every two weeks for four to five years.

"It's a nice mix here - you get a little bit of everybody: people who live around here, professionals, school kids," she said.

The staff at Nancy Le's now recognize her and know how she likes her nails, including what designs she likes for her tips. Owner John Le even informs new manicurists that she likes her nails square.

Le, who is shorter than most of his clients but has a big memory for their preferences and even bigger abundance of cheer, approaches clients all over the salon, asking "How you been? Bad weather, right?"

When a client walks in, he immediately asks, "Eyebrow?" or "Pedicure?" - depending on his or her regular treatment, which he is known to recall on cue.

"I have gone to other places in Bucks County and the Northeast," the HUP social worker said. "Nobody does them quite as well as they do them here."

Seanice Henry from Germantown, Pa., has been getting her nails done once a month at Nancy Le's for over five years.

"A variety of people go here . I like to see more than just one culture," Henry said.

Naimah Ali, a Drexel graduate who lives in the Overbrook area of West Philadelphia, comes to Nancy Le's every two weeks. "It's mostly neighborhood people, peppered with students," she said.

She said she likes the salon because they wax her eyebrows well, something she is "very particular" about.

"They are nice, clean and very affordable," Ali said. She added that steady customers begin to talk as they get to know each other, and the employees "know my face."

College junior Liora Pollick a frequent client of the salon, said she likes Nancy Le's because of its proximity to campus and the quickness of its services.

"I've never had to wait for an appointment, they do a good job and are incredibly cheap," Pollick said. "You can't beat an $8 manicure or $20 pedicure in this city."

Pollick also noted the eclectic quality of the venue. "It definitely attracts a range of people - men and women," she said. "A large portion are definitely from the neighborhood, but I've seen many Penn and Drexel students and occasionally Penn employees."

And yet some students avoid the salon based on fears of venturing off campus past Chestnut Street.

"My friend told me never to go by myself," College freshman Raquel Finkelstein said.

Wharton and Engineering sophomore Adina Stohl said she would not go to Market Street to get her nails done when she can go to the Joseph Anthony Salon on Walnut and 37th streets - where a manicure and pedicure cost about $44.

Along with signs saying, "We do Eyelash" and "Keep Children Seated," Nancy Le's features three signs that read: "Warning: Camera on Duty."

Even faithful clients take precautions when visiting the salon, which is flanked by outdoor vendors and used furniture stores. "I'm never really scared to go there but always go with a friend anyway," Pollick said.

Engineering senior Elizabeth Schmutter said she is wary of the neighborhood surrounding 40th and Market streets. "There are more dollar shops, it's less high end - I'd be concerned about quality," she said.

But when people in the neighborhood seek an escape from their busy day or quick preparation for a crush party, a full-service, pleasant refuge is only a few blocks away.

"There's good service, they're friendly, very nice and clean and you don't have to wait long," said Dottey Abney, a West Philadelphia resident who works at a nearby behavioral health facility. "Diversity adds to the experience," she added. "It needs to be versatile because the community is versatile too . It's good to see everybody united."

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